For 40 years, Spectrum Sound has livened weddings, proms, and company parties with a wealth of music, photo-booth, and AV services. Technical experts set up projectors and huge flat screens for slideshows and presentations, or specialized lighting for dance floors and stages. DJs crank out catchy tunes and hits across a variety of genres.

Tales and Scales coordinates some of the best theater in Evansville. From the moment the curtain draws, you'll be having a great time.
Parking is plentiful, so visitors can feel free to bring their vehicles.

Take a trip to The Bishop in Bloomington and make your next meal a good one.
On warmer days, take advantage of The Bishop's outdoor seating.
Enjoy live music with your food and drinks at The Bishop as well.
Weeknights are popular for dining and crowds often form at the restaurant.
Get in and out of the car quickly with no-hassle parking located all around the restaurant.
Store your bike at one of the many racks outside of The Bishop.

Whether you're planning a quick getaway or a long vacation, Indiana University in Bloomington has your name written all over it.
There are plenty of public parking options for you to take advantage of during your stay at Indiana University.
Cyclists will love the spacious bike racks outside of Indiana University.

The production calendar for Bloomington's Polka-Dot the Clown offers an outrageous mix of comedy and drama for the theatrically inclined.
Parking is plentiful, so patrons can feel free to bring their vehicles.

Groupon Guide

The surviving members of the Grateful Dead are closing out the band’s 50-year career at Chicago’s Soldier Field, and the legions are coming to join them. Since it was announced earlier this year, the Fare Thee Well concert has turned the Windy City into the epicenter of all things Dead. Tickets for the July 3, 4, and 5 dates sold out in record time, but with an ever-expanding docket of after shows—not to mention Chicago’s own splendors—even the ticketless shouldn’t be lacking in direction. We’ve compiled some tips and local Grateful Dead lore to make the weekend go smoothly whether you’re at the show, on the lot, or packed into one of the many venues celebrating that most quintessential of American bands.Ways and Means: Getting TherePublic Transit: On Fourth of July weekend, Chicago’s lakefront crowds up and Lake Shore Drive slows to a crawl. Beat the traffic by taking the CTA’s Red, Green, or Orange lines to the Roosevelt stop. From there, it’s just a 15-minute walk east to Soldier Field. Buy a train pass in advance to avoid the long lines that form at the L stops. (You can buy a 3-day Ventra pass for $20 online).Taxis, Uber, and Pedicabs: Soldier Field is removed from major streets with through traffic, so hailing a cab or coordinating with an Uber driver can be difficult. If you’re too wiped out to walk back to the train after the show, consider one of the pedicabs that will undoubtedly be circling the area. The back of an open-air rickshaw is a great spot for enjoying views of downtown Chicago and the Museum Campus.Shuttles: Bars such as Reggies (2105 S. State St.) in the South Loop and aliveOne (2683 N. Halsted St.) in Lakeview are offering shuttle services and packages to help you get to and from the venue.Deadhead Pro Tip: “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” was written in 1931 by a traveling fedora-salesman/folk singer stuck in traffic on the Edens Expressway. That may or may not be true, but if you’re traveling that way, be prepared for gridlock on the Edens and Kennedy (I-90/94) during rush hour.I Sat Down to My Supper, 'Twas a Bottle of Red Whiskey: Food & DrinkFor the Parking-Lot Chef: The South Loop Market (1720 S. Michigan Ave.) stocks organic groceries and more than 300 vintage beers to keep you sustained in the lots.Pre-Show Eats: Nearby restaurants include the throwback Jewish deli Eleven City Diner (1112 S. Wabash Ave.) and Cafecito (26 E. Congress Pkwy.), which specializes in Cuban sandwiches and coffee. Further north, vegetarians will find seitan burgers and tacos at Native Foods Cafe (14 S. Clinton St.) in the Loop.Liquor Stores: South Loop standbys include Warehouse Liquors (634 S. Wabash Ave.) and a Binny’s Beverage Depot (1132 S. Jefferson St.).Deadhead Pro Tip: If you’re exploring the Loop, you might as well wander past the historic Auditorium Theatre (50 E. Congress Pkwy.). Located about a mile from Soldier Field, this registered national landmark hosted many memorable Dead shows from 1971 to 1977.Listen to the Music Play: Related Shows & Streaming OptionsDuring the Show: If you weren’t lucky enough to score tickets on July 3 or 4, head to City Winery (1200 W. Randolph St.) to watch a live HD stream on a massive screen. Park West (322 W. Armitage Ave.) will also be streaming the first two nights, with Leftover Salmon serving as the musical hosts.After the Show: There are too many after shows to list, but we recommend you check out The Music Never Stopped, a citywide festival featuring acts such as Railroad Earth, Gene Ween, Particle, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The festival takes place at various venues across town.Brunch the Next Day: City Winery’s brunch shows will feature food and performances by Steve Kimock and Jerry Joseph, plus never-before-seen Dead videos. Mandolin legend David Grisman should provide a nice landing at his Sunday gig at the Palmer House Hilton (17 E. Monroe St.).Bound to Cover Just a Little More Ground: Around the CityCarol’s Pub | Uptown: Cheap beer. Outlaw country. Carol’s (4659 N. Clark St.) is about 10 miles from Soldier Field, but there’s definitely time to get there after the show—it’s open until 5 a.m. on Saturdays. On Saturday nights, the house band belts out a mix of Cash, Haggard, and Dylan to a raucous, line-dancing crowd.Jerry’s | Multiple Locations: You can guess where the name comes from. Locations in Andersonville (5419 N. Clark St.) and Wicker Park (1938 W. Division St.) feature tons of creative sandwiches, plus good beers and even better tunes.The Green Mill | Uptown: If you’re staying up north and looking for late-night music on Saturday, check out Sabertooth, whose Green Mill (4802 N. Broadway) gig runs from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. and will likely feature a few Dead tunes taken out for long jazzy walks. It won’t hurt to brush up on our guide to jazz shows before you go.Deadhead Pro Tip: If you’re at the Green Mill, look next door and give a nod to the now-shuttered Uptown Theatre. That was the Dead’s default Chicago home from 1979 to 1981.Image: Mark Mills, Groupon.

Even if you have $275 to shell out for Lollapalooza, you’re flat out of luck—the festival sold out back in March, less than 45 minutes after passes went on sale. But don’t worry. If you’re looking for summer music festivals that still have tickets available (and won’t break your bank), we’ve got six.KS 107.5 Summer JamFiddler’s Green Amphitheatre | Englewood, CODate: June 12 Lineup: Tech N9ne, Trey Songz, Kid Ink, Childish Gambino, and more. Tickets: starting at $29.50 (also available via Groupon) Why You Should Go: Pretty much every hip-hop station hosts its own festival during the summer. KS 107.5, however, stands out by covering an especially diverse amount of ground within the genre, from motor-mouthed icon Tech N9ne to alternative rapper (and actor) Childish Gambino.Chicago Blues FestivalGrant Park | Chicago, ILDates: June 12–14 Lineup: Zora Young, Buddy Guy, Clarence Carter, Taj Mahal Trio, and more. Tickets: Free Why You Should Go: Though it’s the largest of Chicago’s music festivals (and the largest free blues festival in the world), Blues Fest tends to be much less chaotic than Lollapalooza. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who wants to mosh, crowd surf, or start a fight during Buddy Guy’s laidback headlining set on Saturday.Mamby On the BeachOakwood Beach | Chicago, ILDates: July 11–12 Lineup: Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Phantogram, Röyksopp, and more. Tickets: $59+ (also available via Groupon) Why You Should Go: Plenty of summer festivals veer toward EDM chaos, but Mamby On the Beach tends to favor synth pop. As far as electronic music goes, it’s a sweet spot that’s danceable without overwhelming your senses. Oh, did we mention this is on the beach?The Forecastle FestivalWaterfront Park | Louisville, KYDates: July 17–19 Lineup: Sam Smith, My Morning Jacket, Widespread Panic, Modest Mouse, and more. Tickets: Starting at $74.50. VIP and travel packages also available here. Why You Should Go: Because it’s the closest you’ll get to the “anything goes” lineups of Lollapalooza and Coachella, while still being significantly less expensive than both. This year features everything from the gospel pop of Sam Smith to the cosmic roots rock of Louisville heroes My Morning Jacket. Expect an ecstatic crowd for the latter’s hometown show.Delaware JunctionHarrington Fields | Harrington, DEDates: August 14–16 Lineup: Toby Keith, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, and more. Tickets: $199 for three-day passes. Camping and VIP packages also available here. Why You Should Go: If you’re aching to live out the rugged stories told in songs by mainstream country acts such as Toby Keith and Jason Aldean, you can do so right at the festival by camping under the stars of verdant Harrington Fields.Get Shamrocked Irish Music FestivalTown Square Park | Murrieta, CADates: September 18–20 Lineup: Flatfoot 56, Gaelic Storm, The Young Dubliners, The Mahones, and more. Tickets: starting at $35 (also available via Groupon) Why You Should Go: The minds behind Get Shamrocked refer to it as “The Irish Coachella,” and for good reason. The lineup reads like a who’s who of Celtic rock, celebrating traditional Irish acts such as Gaelic Storm as well as the punk fervor of Flatfoot 56.Images: Trey Songz (30) by Mikey Hennesy, Chicago Blues Festival by gingerbydesign, and Beach House Panorama by Zepfanman.com, all under CC BY 2.0.

At first blush, it doesn’t seem that difficult to enjoy a rock show. You just buy the tickets, show up at the venue more or less on time, and coast through the night on a wave of singalong choruses. But going to a concert isn’t always as easy as it seems. When’s the right time to buy merch? What if there’s a tall person blocking your view? And how on earth can you remain civil to your fellow man in the chaos of the mosh pit? To answer these questions, we turned to staff members of four concert venues that have seen it all: Chicago’s Double Door and Empty Bottle; Seattle’s Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room; and Los Angeles’s Whisky A Go Go. Together, they helped us put together the definitive guide to enjoying a rock show without becoming the butt of the band’s jokes.Among music fans, few things inspire more vitriol than smartphones at concerts. Plenty of bands have gone on record saying they hate it, but the venues tend to have more nuanced feelings. “I have mixed emotions,” confesses Guy Keltner, the marketing manager of Neumos. “As a fan, I hate it. Nothing pisses me off more than someone filming the whole song and covering my view when I’m trying to watch the show.” But Keltner also admits that it makes his job easier as a promoter. “I love getting tagged in Twitter and seeing photos from a show. When people see pictures from a sold-out show and get that fear of missing out, it really helps me [do my job].” Luke Iblings, the talent buyer at Whisky A Go Go, is similarly ambivalent. “From a promoter’s standpoint, I think it’s great seeing all the pics and vids running rampant on the net. From a concert-goer’s standpoint, it’s pretty annoying.” The bottom line? You might be helping out the promoters, but you’re definitely annoying somebody behind you. And anyway, according to the Empty Bottle’s promotions/street-team coordinator Mike Gebel, “taking video on your phone is stupid and it almost always sounds like shit.”If something on the merch table catches your eye when you walk in, don’t think twice—just buy it. “If you know you like the band or it’s an opener you want to support, go do it as quickly as possible,” Keltner advises. “I’d say buy it right away,” agrees Nate Arling, who works as booking manager at Double Door. “Sometimes you’ll forget, or they’ll be sold out of that shirt by the time you get to it.” Sure, holding a poster for three hours doesn’t sound so appealing, but some venues (the Double Door, for example) will offer a coat check for merch.It can be tempting to skip an unfamiliar opening act, but know that by doing that, you’re not only risking missing out—you’re likely forsaking a spot up front. To secure a great spot, Arling has a simple recommendation: “Just get here as close to door time as possible—maybe about a half hour before doors.” Of course, even that doesn’t guarantee anything. “I’m one of those guys who just shoves his way to the front no matter when I arrive,” Keltner admits. “No matter what, people are going to shove in front.”Speaking of shoving in front, why does it always seem like the tallest guy in the room is standing directly in front of you? Gebel says that it’s not exactly rude for a tall person to sneak up front, but “it can suck for shorter people. Fans—tall or not—should always try to be aware of their surroundings.” That’s a good rule to follow in general, according to Arling. “I think anyone trying to help others have a better concert experience is always a good thing.”Is crowdsurfing cool? Arguably. Is it safe? Definitely not. Though crowdsurfing isn’t always banned outright, all four of our experts had bad things to say about this common concert activity. “So many people fall backwards on their head or neck,” Arling explains, “so we try to be pretty strict about it.” Mosh pits, on the other hand, are pretty much fair game. “If you are going to book certain types of shows,” Iblings explains, “you must accept the fact that there will be mosh pits. I am personally all for them!” Gebel mostly agrees, but he says it’s best when fans police themselves. “There’s definitely a safe way to do it, and the collective fanbase is better [off] if everyone’s looking out for the health and safety of one another.”Tip your bartenders. Don’t talk loudly—“or whisper loudly into each other’s ears,” adds Gebel—during quiet sets. And whatever you do, don’t throw a punch at the bouncer. At the end of the day, “I just wish people would be a little more polite,” says an exasperated Keltner, who has witnessed his share of horrors over the years. Ditto for Iblings, who has been booking shows on the Sunset Strip for 15 years. “I’ve probably attended 10,000 concerts in my lifetime, [and] I wouldn’t even know where to begin with all the crazy things I’ve seen.” So do these guys a solid and be respectful of the staff and the performers. Or, as Gebel put it more succinctly, “don’t be an asshole.”